Indulge in the ultimate comfort food experience with our delectable Four Cheese Mac 'n' Cheese recipe. Creamy, cheesy, and irresistibly savoury, this mouthwatering dish combines the rich flavours of cheddar, mozzarella, parmesan, and gouda cheese for a cheesy mac 'n' cheese masterpiece.
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And don't forget the extra sprinkling of cooked bacon for added protein (yeah, like that's the reason I sprinkle it on there!). As Chris says "Everything tastes better with bacon".
š Ingredients?
Do you have to use Macaroni?
No, absolutely not, I used elbow macaroni when I photographed this dish but spirali when we made the video. You can use whatever small pasta shape you have in the cupboard.
What are the best cheeses to use for mac 'n' cheese?
In my opinion, you want a mixture of cheeses, each of which adds something to the cheese sauce element of the dish. So I use:
- Mature/sharp cheddar cheese - for that signature strong cheesy flavour
- Mozzarella - for that lovely stretchiness
- Parmesan cheese - rich savouriness
- Gouda (you could also swap this out for Gruyere) - slight creamy nuttiness - adding more depth of flavour
šŗ Watch how to make it
Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.
- Put the pasta on to boil until al dente.
- Whilst the pasta is cooking, make the cheese sauce by starting with a roux.
- Drain the pasta and combine it with the cheese sauce.
- Transfer to a baking or casserole dish and top with a little extra cheese and some cooked bacon.
- Bake in the oven then serve!
š©āš³PRO TIP Just lightly cook the bacon so it'll finish off cooking and crisp up in the oven at the end!
Give me a large bowl of this four-cheese mac 'n' cheese alongside some BBQ food and I'm a very happy girl š.
š½ļø What to serve with Mac 'n' Cheese?
This four cheese mac 'n' cheese recipe is fantastic as the star of the show with a nice green salad but it also goes really well with pretty much any meaty dishes or even as a side for a BBQ feast.
How about trying this mac 'n' cheese recipe with:
- Fried Chicken
- Slow-cooked Beef Short Ribs as an alternative to mashed potato
- Peri Peri Chicken
- Sticky Pork Ribs
- Spicy Korean Fried Chicken < One of my daughter's favourites.
Let me know in the comments below what's your favourite dish to serve alongside four cheese man n cheese?
Using four different kinds of cheese really adds to the depth of flavour and cheesiness of this mac n cheese recipe!
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4 Cheese Mac 'n' Cheese Recipe
Ingredients
- 200 g (7 oz) spiral pasta
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 60 g (Ā½ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
- 480 ml (2 cups) full-fat milk
- 75 g (Ā¾ cup) mature Cheddar cheese - grated
- 75 g (Ā¾ cup) Gouda - grated
- 75 g (Ā¾ cup) Mozzarella - grated
- 50 g (Ā½ cup) Parmesan - grated
- 6 rashers lightly cooked bacon - roughly chopped
- 2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
INSTRUCTIONS
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F (fan).
- Cook the pasta in boiling water for 1 minute less than the pack instructions. Then drain.200 g (7 oz) spiral pasta
- While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a large frying pan over a medium-high heat.4 tbsp unsalted butter
- Once the butter has melted, gradually add the flour whilst constantly stirring with a whisk, until it becomes a thick paste.60 g (Ā½ cup) plain (all-purpose) flour
- Gradually add the milk, whilst stirring with the whisk, until combined.480 ml (2 cups) full-fat milk
- Add in the cheese, reserving 1 heaped tablespoon of each type of cheese.75 g (Ā¾ cup) mature Cheddar cheese, 75 g (Ā¾ cup) Gouda, 75 g (Ā¾ cup) Mozzarella, 50 g (Ā½ cup) Parmesan
- By now the pasta should be ready. Add the cooked and drained pasta to the pan with the white sauce. Mix together until the sauce coats the pasta.
- Transfer the pasta to a baking dish and sprinkle on the reserved cheese and lightly cooked bacon.6 rashers lightly cooked bacon
- Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.
- Sprinkle parsley on top, then serve.2 tbsp freshly chopped parsley
Video
ā Notes
Nutrition
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Lauren says
The best mac and cheese ever!